Translation guide
How to express 'first time' in Japanese, covering first experiences, initial occurrences, and the first instance of something.
Expressing that it is your first time doing an activity or having an experience.
Use 初めて (hajimete) before a verb to mean 'for the first time'. This is the most common and natural way to express a first-time experience.
日本は初めてですか。
Is this your first time in Japan?
初めて寿司を食べました。
I ate sushi for the first time.
初めて会ったとき、緊張しました。
I was nervous when we met for the first time.
Use 初めての (hajimete no) before a noun to describe a first-time thing or experience.
初めての海外旅行です。
It's my first trip abroad.
初めてのデートは緊張しますね。
First dates are nerve-wracking, aren't they?
Literally 'for the first time in my life', used for emphasizing a truly unprecedented experience.
生まれて初めて富士山に登りました。
I climbed Mt. Fuji for the first time in my life.
Referring to the initial occurrence or instance of something.
Means 'first time' or 'first session' for events, meetings, classes, etc. Common in schedules and formal contexts.
初回の授業は来週です。
The first class is next week.
初回限定の割引があります。
There is a discount for first-time customers only.
Means 'first' or 'beginning'. Can be used as 'the first time' in contexts like 'the first time I saw it'.
Can be used as a noun meaning 'the first time', often in set phrases.
Expressing that something hasn't happened for a long time and is now happening again.
Means 'for the first time in a long time'. Used when you do something again after a long interval.
久しぶりに映画を見ました。
I watched a movie for the first time in a while.
久しぶりに友達に会いました。
I met a friend for the first time in a long time.
Describing a sequence where one event occurs for the first time and leads to another.
Use 初めて (hajimete) before a verb and add とき (toki) to mean 'when I did something for the first time'.
初めて日本に行ったとき、とても感動しました。
The first time I went to Japan, I was deeply moved.
初めて (hajimete) is an adverb meaning 'for the first time' and is used with verbs. 最初 (saisho) is a noun meaning 'the beginning' or 'first', and can be used as 'the first time' in some contexts, but it emphasizes the starting point rather than the novelty of the experience.
一番目 (ichibanme) means 'the first one' in a numbered list or order, not 'the first time' as an experience. Avoid translating 'first time' literally as 一番目の時.
一番目の質問
the first question (in a list)
When was the first time we met?
初めてが肝心です。
The first time is crucial.